WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump will name Heather Nauert, a former Fox News anchor and the current State Department spokeswoman, as his next United Nations ambassador, according to two administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Trump may announce Nauert's appointment as early as Friday.

Trump has picked several other Fox News personalities for high-profile roles in his administration. The president hired former Fox News executive Bill Shine in June to serve as a top communications adviser. And Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, was a paid Fox contributor before taking his current post.

Nauert has served as the State Department’s chief spokeswoman since April 2017 winning Trump over with her staunch defense of his foreign policy decisions. She has also earned the trust of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Nauert also served temporarily as the acting undersecretary for public diplomacy, after the previous undersecretary was reportedly ousted. But her resume is thinner than previous appointees to the U.N. job, which involves representing the United States at the Security Council and in delicate diplomatic negotiations with other world leaders.

Critics say that while she is good at parroting talking points, Nauert does not have the kind of in-depth policy knowledge or political background needed for the job.

Nauert did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, nor did several White House spokesmen.

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is tendered her resignation as Ambassador to the United Nations. She will remain until the end of the year.
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Brett Bruen, who served as director of global engagement in the Obama administration, said Nauert has earned a reputation as "a quick study" and capable spokeswoman.

But "the job of representing our country in the complex corridors of power at the United Nations requires more experience in negotiations and knowledge of international law than Heather brings," Bruen said last month, when Nauert first emerged as a frontrunner for the post. "We need more than a smooth spokesperson. We need a seasoned, steady, and strong voice who understands the subtleties of multinational diplomacy."

In briefings from the State Department's podium, Nauert has rarely stumbled under sharp questioning by U.S. and foreign reporters. Her biggest gaffe may have come when she cited D-Day as evidence of the strong relationship between the United States and Germany.

“Tomorrow is the anniversary of the D-Day invasion. We obviously have a very long history with the government of Germany, and we have a strong relationship with the government,” she said in June.

Prior to joining the State Department, Nauert, a 48-year-old native of Illinois, was a reporter for “Fox & Friends” and served in several other positions at the cable network channel.

As a journalist, Nauert covered the 9/11 terror attacks, the war in Iraq and four presidential elections. Prior to joining Fox News, Nauert served as a correspondent for ABC News, where she covered breaking news in the U.S. and abroad.

Nauert earned her undergraduate degree from Mount Vernon College in Washington and a master’s from Columbia University’s School of Journalism.

Haley announced in early October her plans to resign, a decision that seemed to surprise White House officials. Haley, a former South Carolina governor who became one of the most prominent women in Trump’s Cabinet, came to the job with almost no foreign policy experience but earned high marks from Republicans as a forceful messenger for American priorities on the global stage.

Haley's decision prompted a scramble inside the White House to find a successor.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, left, listens while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks with reporters in his plane while flying from Panama to Mexico on Oct. 18, 2018. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert arrives for the release of the 2017 annual report on International Religious Freedom on May 29, 2018, in the Press Briefing Room at the US Department of State in Washington. MANDEL NGAN, AFP/Getty Images

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, left, and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders smile as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a news conference on North Korea in the briefing room at the White House on June 7, 2018, in Washington. ANDREW HARNIK, AP